Smart Delivers Its First EV In the U.S.

The electric Smart car has arrived.

Mindy Kimball of Silver Spring, Maryland received the first electric Smart ForTwo in the United States on Wednesday, one of the 250 diminutive EVs we’ll see from the company this year. The big rollout begins in 2012.

“This is a groundbreaking day for smart in the United States,” Smart USA President Jill Lajdziak said in a statement. “We are extremely excited to add the smart fortwo electric drive to the smart product lineup, solidifying our position as a key player in transportation electrification.”

Kimball, 36, is a major in the Army and an early adopter who has long sung the praises of EVs.

The battery pack is good for a claimed 98 miles on the LA4 test cycle, but the EPA pegs the real-world figure at 63 miles. It’s good to go in eight hours when plugged into a 220 volt socket. That’s a long time, but the pack is 80 percent “full” at 3.5 hours.

Smart’s leasing a fleet of 250 cars to individuals and municipal / corporate fleets to refine the tech. Series production is slated for 2012. No word on the price yet.